The present application claims priority to Japanese Application No. 2002-23499 filed Jan. 31, 2002, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing technology that uses a transmission apparatus that transmits print data and an output apparatus that outputs printed materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a printing system of the conventional art, a printed material comprising a printed document, for example, can be delivered to a specific user (i.e., a recipient) through transmission of print data by specifying the mail bin of the printer used by the user.
However, because the parameters for the printing of the document to be delivered to the recipient are set by the sender of the print data, the problem arises that the printed material is not always printed using the printing parameters desired by the recipient.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a printing technology that allows print data sent from the sender to be printed using the printing parameters desired by the recipient.
In order to attain these and other objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, the print server that generates printing output data by processing printing base data reccived from the client over a network and sends the generated printing output data to the printer over the network includes a storage unit that stores a database in which printed material recipient and document type information are associated with printing parameter information; first obtaining means that obtains from the client information regarding the specified recipient; second obtaining means that obtains from the client information regarding the specified document type; extraction means that extracts from the database the printing parameter information associated with the recipient information obtained by the first obtaining means and the document type information obtained by the second obtaining means; and a processing means that processes the printing base data and generates printing output data based on the printing parameter information extracted by the extraction means.